When I started dating my husband, I was texting him one night and used the line “Put Me in Coach.” First, he is a coach and second, I love a good pun. I love my husband with all of my heart, but flirty one liners are not always his jam. Even better, I texted my friend that he did not get my line and I was annoyed…. Wait for it…. I actually texted him that. Guess what, we are married and now we laugh about this. Making inferences can sometimes be like pick-up lines that fall flat. 

Inference is a skill that I teach over and over again during my English Language Arts block in my classroom. It is not a one and done skill. We review this skill all year. Making inferences is tough when your brain is used to thinking concretely! But it’s not impossible to get students on the right track.

Teach your students the formula My Life + The Book = An Inference  

You already know what I’m going to say.  The best way to teach inferencing skills is with picture books! 😉

These 3 picture books are my favorite for inference lessons. 

🚲 Drawn Together–  tells the story of a boy and his grandfather who struggle to communicate because they speak different languages. Through drawing and art, they discover a special way to connect and build a strong relationship.

🐠 Paul Meets Bernadette – follows Paul, a fish who only notices ordinary things around him, until he meets Bernadette, who helps him see beauty and wonder in the world. By the end of the story, Paul learns to look at life in a whole new way.

🪀A Bad Case of Stripes–  is about a girl named Camilla who worries so much about fitting in that she develops colorful stripes all over her body. In the end, she learns the importance of being herself and not caring so much about what others think.

Making Inferences with Paul Meets Bernadette

🐠 Model – When you make an inference, you are a detective looking for clues. On the first page of Paul Meets Bernadette, model what making an inference looks like. Ask your students, “How do we know he’s sad? What clues do the text and picture give us?” Then, show them how to make an inference.

🐠 Practice Together – As you continue to read the book, stop at key moments to make inferences together. You might ask, “How can you tell Bernadette helps Pual notice new things around him? What words or pictures help us understand the outside world?” Then work together, out loud, to make an inference.

🐠 Practice Solo – Give students a chance to practice on their own! I have a free Inference resource you can pair with the story to help students apply their inference skills.

Make your inference-unit planning easy by grabbing my Comprehension Vault. There’s no fluff or busy work. Instead, you’ll find engaging ways to practice inference with activities, guiding questions, and games. 

The post Teaching Inference with Picture Books That Actually Work appeared first on Ramona Recommends.

Story Elements Come Alive

Every strong comprehension lesson starts with the basics—story elements. In A Bad Case of Stripes, students can clearly identify the characters, setting, problem, and solution while noticing how these pieces work together to create a meaningful story.

Start by reading the book aloud and discussing each element as you go. Ask questions like:

• Who is the main character, and what does she want?
• What problem does she face?
• How is that problem finally solved?

Try this: Use my free story elements printable to help students organize their thoughts as they listen. They can fill in boxes, draw illustrations, and color each section in Camilla’s vibrant hues. When finished, you’ll have a visual map of the story—and a hallway display that truly pops with color!

Character Change and Growth

Camilla Cream is more than just a girl who breaks out in stripes—she’s a character who changes from uncertain to unapologetically herself. This makes her story perfect for exploring character change and personal growth.

Ask guiding questions to get students thinking deeply:

• What caused Camilla’s stripes to appear?
• How did she feel about herself at the beginning of the story?
• What changes by the end?

Writing Connection: Have students create a short reflection called My Own Case of Stripes. Encourage them to describe a time they felt pressure to fit in—and what they learned about being themselves. This personal writing moment helps connect literature to life, making comprehension more meaningful.

Theme: Be True to You

Every memorable story has a heartbeat—and in this one, it’s all about self-acceptance. Teaching theme through A Bad Case of Stripes encourages students to think beyond the events and ask why the story matters.

Pose open-ended questions such as:

• What is the author trying to teach us about being ourselves?
• How does Camilla’s journey show that lesson?

Group Challenge: Divide your class into small groups and ask them to find three pieces of text evidence that reveal the story’s theme. You’ll love hearing how their interpretations differ—and how their confidence grows when they can justify their thinking with evidence from the text.

Making Connections and Inferring Feelings

David Shannon’s bold illustrations do more than decorate—they communicate. Each color, pattern, and facial expression reveals how Camilla feels inside. This makes the book a powerful tool for practicing making inferences.

Give students sentence stems such as:

• “Camilla felt ____ when ____.”
• “The author shows Camilla’s emotions through ____.”

Then, discuss how her appearance changes alongside her emotions. For example, what do her rainbow stripes say about her feelings? How does she look different when she finally eats the lima beans again? These visual clues guide students to connect emotion with action—a key skill in understanding character motivation.

Creative Classroom Extensions

Make your comprehension lesson even more colorful with activities that combine art, writing, and self-expression:

🎨 Art Connection: Invite students to design their own “stripes” using patterns or colors that represent their personalities and interests. Display them with a banner titled Be True to You!

🧠 SEL Tie-In: Create a class book called A Bad Case of Being Me, where each student adds a page about something that makes them unique. It’s a beautiful reminder that our quirks are what make us shine.

📖 Vocabulary Practice: Highlight words like unique, authentic, and identity from the story. Use them for context clue practice or add them to your class word wall.

Turning Stripes into Strengths

A Bad Case of Stripes is more than a read-aloud—it’s an invitation to celebrate individuality. By weaving comprehension skills with lessons about self-acceptance, you’ll create a classroom where students feel seen, valued, and empowered to show their true colors.

Before you go, don’t forget to download your free story elements printable! It’s the perfect tool to help students analyze the book while keeping the fun and color of Camilla Cream’s world alive.So go ahead—bring A Bad Case of Stripes into your classroom, and watch as your students turn their stripes into strengths.

The post Colorful Comprehension Magic: Teaching with A Bad Case of Stripes appeared first on Ramona Recommends.

And before we hit the books… If you love weaving meaningful conversations into your read-alouds, you’ll want to check out my Social Emotional Learning Picture Book Guide! This ready-to-use resource takes the guesswork out of teaching SEL—it’s not “one more thing,” it’s something that fits right into what you already do. With 60+ carefully chosen picture books, printable teacher guides, student cards, and five thoughtful discussion questions for each title, you’ll have everything you need to foster self-awareness, build relationships, and encourage responsible decision-making through story.

It’s perfect for morning meetings, class discussions, or anytime your class needs a refresh.

Now, let’s explore five picture books that help students discover theme—each one rich with emotional depth and classroom connection.

5 Picture Books That Help Students Discover Theme

1. Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

A relatable story about wanting what others have and learning that generosity matters more than possessions.
Teaching Tip: After reading, ask students: What lesson did Jeremy learn about kindness and friendship?

2. The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig

A moving story about feeling unseen and the power of including others.
Theme Focus: Acceptance and compassion.
Classroom Idea: Have students find one piece of evidence from the text or illustrations that supports this theme.

3. The Bad Seed by Jory John

A humorous yet heartfelt look at growth, mistakes, and second chances.
Theme Focus: Change and redemption.
Activity Idea: Ask students to identify moments when the seed chooses to change—what lesson does this show?

4. The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

An emotional story about empathy and the importance of listening when someone is hurting.
Theme Focus: Emotional awareness and compassion.
Extension: Pair with a SEL mini lesson on how to be a supportive friend.

5. Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

A story that leaves a lasting impact about missed opportunities for kindness.
Theme Focus: Regret and the lasting power of our actions.
Discussion Idea: Use this text to explore how theme connects to students’ real-life choices.

Understanding theme helps students connect literature to life — and picture books are the perfect gateway. Each of these stories sparks a Confetti Moment where readers feel the heart of the message. Try reading one a week and creating a classroom “Theme Wall” where students write the life lessons they discover from each story.

The post 5 Picture Books That Make Teaching Theme Easy appeared first on Ramona Recommends.

Why Written Response Strategies Matter

In today’s classrooms, students are asked to do more than answer multiple-choice questions. They must explain their thinking and back it up with text evidence. That’s where strategies like RACE (Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain) and RAPP (Restate, Answer, Prove, Proofread) shine. Both approaches give students a clear framework for crafting organized, complete answers.

Visual Supports That Make a Difference

Anchor charts and graphic organizers turn abstract steps into something concrete. When students can see each part broken down, they’re more likely to remember and apply it. For example, a color-coded RACE chart displayed in the classroom can remind students to cite their text evidence before moving on.

Graphic organizers allow them to jot down ideas and map out responses before writing the full answer.

Teaching Tips to Get Started:

• Gradual Release: I Do, We Do, You Do
• Leveled Passages for All Readers
• Rubrics and Examples to Guide Grading

Bringing It All Together

From anchor charts to rubrics, every piece of this resource supports the ultimate goal: helping students build independence in written responses. With RACE and RAPP strategies, teachers can confidently guide students from modeled practice to independent mastery.

The post Engaging RACE and RAPP Strategies for Stronger Student Responses appeared first on Ramona Recommends.